Magazine arc-lamp.



E. J. GUAY.

MAGAZINE ARG LAMP.`

APPLIOATIOH FILED JULY 21, 1909.

n n n n n 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patened May 27, 1913.

. Inventor:

Emile J. Guay,

E. J. GUAY. MAGAZINE ARG LAMP.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21, 1909.

1,062,907. Patented May 27, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I i y l I r A `I i i 3 m Y Inventor: )Smile J. (Snagh Witnesses i W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMILE J. GUAY, or LYNN, MAssAcHUsETTS, aSS1eNoB To GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A coRPonATlON or NEW YORK.

MAGAZINE ARC-LAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 27, 1913.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, EMILE J. GUAY, a

`citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Magazine Arc- Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric lighting, and especially to that class of arc lamps in which a plurality of electrodes are automatically fed in succession into operative position, so that the lam will burn for many hours without needing attention at the hands of the lamp trimmer.

rThe object of my invention is to simplify the construction and render it compact and easy to inspect and repair, besides insuring reliability in operation and durability in service.

With these ends in View, I provide a single lower negative electrode of considerable size, and a plurality of upper positive electrodes smaller in diameter than the negative and carried side by side in a magazine which is laterally movable, so that said electrodes will'be brought in succession into alinement with the lower electrode; the movement being effected automatically Whenever an upper electrode has been burned down to a predetermined length. The movement of the magazine is preferably in a circular arc in order to render the lamp more compact. The magazine itself is therefore curved, and is provided with radial arms pivoted at the center of the circular arc. A weight or its equivalent constantly tends to turn the sector-like magazine, and an escapement is provided which permits it to move step by step as the electrodes are consumed, one after another. Just before each movement of the maga- Zine, the lower electrode is `drawn to one side to permit the unconsumed end of the old electrode to drop down into the globe or othery receptacle.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view showing the lamp circuits diagrammatically and a part of the mechanism in elevation and vertical section; Fig. 2 is a top plan view; Fig. 3 is an elevation of the magazine; and Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are details.

The drawings do not attempt to show the complete construction of the lamp, or the actual arrangement of the parts, but merely illustrate the salient features in a manner conducive to easy understanding of the invention.

The magazine is composed of a plurality of cylindrical tubes 1 arranged side by side and preferably on a cylindrical curve. They are secured at their upper and lower ends to top and bottom plates 2, 3 which, if the magazine is curved, are segments.of flat rings. The curve of the magazine is struck from a center 4 at which' are located pivots for arms .5 extending radially from said magazine, so that it can rotate in a circle passing through the Centers of the tubes 1. A cord 6'is attached to the magazine and passes over a pulley 7 to a Weight 8 which thus tends to turn t-he magazine. Ratchet teeth 9 on the magazine are engaged by a detenl; pawl 10 on a lever 11 and serve to regulate the movements ofthe magazine, as hereinafter set forth. A pair of iiy-balls 12 are mounted on a shaft 13 which has a pinion 14 meshing with gear-teeth 15 on the upper edgeof the magazine. These balls act as a drag to limit the speed of movement of the magazine. The bottom plate 3 has a series of holes, each at the center of a compartment tube 1 and of suitable size to permit an electrode 16to slide freely through it. In each tube is a weight 17, preferabl having a socket 18 adapted to rest upon t e upper end of the electrode and to feed it downwardl when required. achtube has a longitudinal slot 19 to permit an arm 20 on said weight to project outside of the tube. The arm carries a bridging contact 21 for a purpose hereinafter set forth.

The lower ends of the several electrodes project through 'the holes in the bottom plate and rest on a stationary support, preferably a plate 22 supported on the platform 23. The plate and platform have registering holes 24 of a suitable size to permit an electrode to slide freely through them. .J ust above the plate 22 and below the magazine, is a clutch 25 for raising the electrodes, said clutch being open on one side so that each (electrode can slide into it laterally as the' tubes are brought one after another into line with the holes 24. The clutch is operated by rods 26 which pass up on each side of the magazine to a forked lever 27 which is pivoted to stationary support 27', and is at one end pivotally connected with the 110 movable core of the series solenoid 28. A shunt solenoid 29 has its core connected' with the escapement lever 11. 'Ihis latter core also carries oneof two contacts 30 which control the circuit of the series solenoid.

The lower electrode 31 is much larger than any of the upper electrodes so as to have the same .life as the entire group of said upper electrodes. The lower electrode is carried by a square upright rod 32 passing up through an insulated bushing 23a in the plate 23. 'lhis bushing is provided with a circular opening through which the upright rod 32 passes and in which it can` freely turn. A washer 23b is provided with a squared opening which is adapted to t snugly over the rod 32, and rests upon the bushing 23B. y f l Two clutches 33, 34, engage said rod the formerv having a long lever-arm engaging with-a Stationary guide 35 which rises obliquely from the platform 23. Both clutches are vconnected to a bar 36'which is connected by avlink 37 to the core of the shunt solenoid 29. The circuit o`f said solenoid is 'closed at the contacts 38 by the bridging contact 21 when an electrode has been consumed to such a point that the weight 17 has descended far enough to bring said contacts together. .A portion of the steadyv ing resistance 39 for the lamp is also included in the circuit of the. shunt solenoid.

The operation is as follows: Current entering by the positive lead 40 passes by the contacts 30 to the solenoid 28 and draws down the lever 27, thereby clutching an upper electrode 16 and drawing the arc. The arc continues to burn until the'clutch 25is tripped when the upper electrode dethat of the coil 28) is energized and lifts lthe* escapement lever 11, releasingI the dek. tentpawl'10 from the tooth 9 and permittingfthe'weight 8 to turn the magazine forward one step to bring the next compartment tube 1 in line with the lower electrode.

The lifting of the core of the solenoid 29 breaks the lamp circuit at the contacts 30,:

thereby dropping the clutch 25 and releasing the electrode. It alsoy lifts the rod 32, and the oblique guide 35 causes said rod to `rotate, at the same time, thereby swinging the lower carbon out from under the waste end of the upper electrode, which thereupon drops into the globe 41. After the lever-arm of the clutch 33 reaches the end of the guide, the clutch 34 continues to lift the rod S2-and raises it through the clutch 33, thus giving the latter a new hold on the rod alittle -farther down, so that when the partsreturn to their normal position the lowerelectrode will have been raised to compensate for what 'has been consumed, and the' arc will thus vbe kept at the lsame point in the globe. The turning of the magazine is damped by the fly-balls 12, so that when thecircuit of the solenoid 29 is broken by the arm 20 moving away from the contacts 38, the escapement lever can.

drop and catch the next tooth 9. The dropping of the core of this solenoid also 'swingsv the lower electrode back into place intime for it to catch the fresh uppervelectrode as it slides down through the holes 24.l At the endof the downward movement' of Said core, the contacts 30 are closed, restablish- .ing the lamp circuit.

Fig. 6 sho-ws a modified weight or follower for the upper carbon designed to give a good cont-act with the tube 1 and coperating with a modified form of circuit closer of the contacts 21 and 38 shown in Fig. 1. The weight consists of two portions 17 and 17', one above the other, connected by a diagonal link 42 whichv causes the two portions to crowd against opposite sides of the tube and insure av good sliding contact therewith. This is an important feature, as the construction forbids the use of -ieXible cables to carry the current to the electrodes. The projecting arm 20' of the weight c0- operates with a lever 43 which is arranged to be struck and tilted by said arm. The opposite end of the lever 43 carriesa loose bridging contact ieee 44 insulated from the lever and adapted to close against the contacts 45 when the lever is tilted.

'patent statutes1 I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent ythe best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown. is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out bv other means.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters'Patent of the United States, is:

1. A magazine are lamp having a plurality of tubes grouped in a segment of a circle, a gravity feed electrode in each tube which is free to drop therefrom, a single lower electrode, means for moving said magazine step by step and for simultaneously moving the lower electrode laterally out of Yalinement with the upper electrode at each 2. An are lamp having a rotatable magazine comprisin a plurality of tubes grouped in a segment o a circle, a gravity-feed electrode in each tube, means for rotating said magazine, a pawl and ratchet escapemen't therefor, `and means comprising a shunty solenoid for controlling said esca-pement.

-3. An arc lamp having a rotatable magazine comprising a plurallty of tubes grouped in a segment of a circle, a` gravity feed electrode in each tube, a single lower coperating electrode, means for rotating said magazine, a pawl and ratchet escapement therefor, a series magnet and mechanism responsive to the energization of said magnet for separating the upper electrode from the lower, a shunt magnet and means operatively conncted to said solenoid for controlling said escapement, and for opening the circuit of said series magnet.

4. An arc lamp having a rotatable magazine comprising a plurality of tubes grouped in a segmentof a circle, a weight and cord for rotating said magazine, ratchet-teeth on said magazlne, a lever having a detent pawl engaging with said teeth, and a shunt solenoid for actuating said lever.

5. An arc lamp having a rotatable magazine comprising a plurallty of tubes grouped in a segment of a circle, each tube having a longitudinal slot, ra weight in each tube having an arm extending through said slot, and means comprising a solenoid controlling the rotation of said magazine, and means controlled by said arm for controlling said solenoid.

6. An arc lamp having a single lower electrode, a plurality of tubes grouped in the segment of a circle arranged above the lower electrode, a gravity feed electrode in each tube, means for moving said tubes successively into alinement with theA lower electrode, a plate located below said tubes having an opening registering with said lower electrode, means for gripping the upper electrode and separating the same from the lower electrode to strike the arc, and means responsive to the movement of the upper electrode for renderin said last named means inoperative so t at the spent electrode may drop from its tube and for simultaneously moving the lower electrode laterally out of alinement with the upper electrode.

7. An arc lamp having a single lower electrode, a plurality of tubes grouped in the segment of a circle arranged above the lower electrode, a gravityl feed electrode in each tube, means for moving said tubes successively into alinement with the lower electrode, a plate located below said tubes having an opening registering with said lower electrode, means for gripping the upper electrode and separating the same from the lower electrode to strike the are, and means responsive to the movement of the upper electrode for rendering said last named means inoperative so that the spent electrode may drop from its tube and for simultaneously moving the lower electrode laterally out of alinement with the upper electrode and for raising the same to compensate for its consumption.

8. In an arc lamp, a single lower electrode, a magazine located above the lower electrode containing a plurality of electrodes, means for moving said electrodes successively into alinement with t-he lower electrode, a plate located below said magazine having an opening registering with the lower elect-rode, mechanism comprising a series magnet for separating the upper electrode from the lower, and mechanism comprising a shunt magnet for rendering the first named mechanism inoperative-when the upper electrode is substantially consumed and permitting the upper electrode to drop from the magaz'ine and for moving the lower electrode laterally out of alinement with the upper.

9. In an arc lamp, a single lower electrode, a magazine located above the lower electrode containing a plurality of electrodes, means for moving said electrodes into alinement with the lower electrode, a plate located below the magazine having an opening in alinement with the lower electrode, mechanism comprising a series magnet for separating the upper electrode from the lower, and mechanism comprising a shunt magnet for rendering the rst named mechanism inoperative when the upper electrode is substantially consumed and thus permitting the upper electrode to drop from the magazine and for moving the lower electrode laterally out of alinement with the upper and for simultaneously lifting the lower electrode to compensate for its consumption.

In witness whereof, l have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day of July, 1909.

EMILE J7. GUAY.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. McManus, Jr., CHARLES A. Bassano. 

